Posted by Functionalizing cotton to induce biological activity is a viable approach for developing wound dressing. A recent study [1] explores the development of cotton-based wound dressing through coating with biologically active nanofibers. Bioactive compounds like lawsone (hennotannic acid, the red-orange dye present in the leaves of the henna plant) offer dual benefits of wound healing and infection prevention, however, their limited solubility and viability hinder their applications. To address this, Hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) and Hydroxypropyl-gamma-cyclodextrin (HP-γ-CD) were employed. Inclusion complexations of CD/lawsone were achieved at 2:1 and 4:1 molar ratios, followed by the fabrication of CD/lawsone nanofibrous systems via electrospinning. Phase solubility studies indicated a twofold increase in lawsone water-solubility with HP-β-CD. Electrospinning yielded smooth and uniform nanofibers with an average diameter of ∼300-700 nm. The results showed that while specific crystalline peaks of lawsone are apparent in the samples with a 2:1 molar ratio, they disappeared in 4:1, indicating complete complexation. The nanofibers exhibited ∼100% loading efficiency of lawsone and its rapid release upon dissolution. Notably, antibacterial assays demonstrated the complete elimination of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus colonies. The CD/lawsone nanofibers also showed suitable antioxidant activity ranging from 50% to 70%. This integrated approach effectively enhances lawsone’s solubility through CD complexation and offers promise for bilayer cotton-based wound dressings.
An early report on the possible use of cyclodextrins in wound treatment dates back to 1988 [2]. Insoluble crosslinked cyclodextrin polymers (in beads or granular form) proved to be accelerating additives for the treatment of oozing wounds like burns and ulcers without any other active pharmaceutical agents. When dry beads were placed on a wound, some secretion of the wound was absorbed by the beads. The wound secretion was removed from the surface as long as dry beads were available. In consequence of this effective outward drainage mechanism the wound became clear and less hydrated. Moreover, the penetration of bacteria into the deeper layer of tissues was decelerated, on the other hand, the blood supply of the tissues got better and so the granulation tissue developed faster.
[1] Mohsen Alishahi, Mahmoud Aboelkheir, Rimi Chowdhury, Craig Altier, Hongqing Shen, Tamer Uyar (2024) Functionalization of Cotton Nonwoven with Cyclodextrin/Lawsone Inclusion Complex Nanofibrous Coating for Antibacterial Wound Dressing. International Journal of Pharmaceutics 123815.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpharm.2024.123815.
[2] Fenyvesi, É. (1988) Cyclodextrin polymers in the pharmaceutical industry. Journal of Inclusion Phenomena 6, 537–545 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00660751